I Need to Know About Medicaid

Medicaid Issues for People with Disabilities

Medicaid, the nation’s primary health insurance program for persons with disabilities and low-income populations is a lifeline for most people with significant disabilities who have greater medical needs and often require assistance with the activities of daily living throughout their lifetimes. It is overwhelmingly the largest funding source of both acute health care and long term services and supports for most of our constituents. But, despite numerous improvements to the Medicaid program for people with disabilities in the new health care reform law, there remain a number of issues that will continue to affect our constituents for years to come.

Although Medicaid is a federal program, its benefits are defined and distributed at the state level. You can find out more about Institutional Bias of Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), waiting lists, provider reimbursement rates, healthcare provider training, and other issues that are of vital important to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.